“I have pursued you for three lifetimes; three lifetimes of karma have finally allowed me to see you!” The Ghost Emperor held the book he had retrieved from the fire; his eyes were now filled with emotion, the vacant and rigid look typical of a specter completely gone. He clutched the book as if newly reborn, his expression suddenly becoming intensely agitated, as if he were about to tear it open, completely ignoring the intense reaction caused by Zhou Huan’s Heavenly Silkworm Gloves striking his body.

Shi Bingyuan and Li Tianxiong were dumbfounded. Where Zhou Huan’s hand seals struck the Ghost Emperor’s body, the area had become translucent; anyone with eyes could see it—a massive hole. Zhou Huan’s strike had punched clean through the Ghost Emperor’s form…

“Hahaha! Three lifetimes! I finally have you! I can be reincarnated now!” The Ghost Emperor knelt on both knees, one hand steadying himself on the ground. His long, disheveled hair obscured a face that looked painfully contorted.

At that very moment, Zhou Huan slowly retracted his hand seals. He observed the Ghost Emperor’s condition closely. Suddenly, he started in shock. The Ghost Emperor was exhibiting something impossible for a ghost: he was weeping. What Zhou Huan saw was a Buddhist scripture, the Ksitigarbha Sutra.

“Master, ghosts can’t possibly do that! How can this be…” Shi Bingyuan couldn't believe his eyes. In all his years of serving as a master, he had never witnessed such a thing—a spectral entity shedding tears.

Tianxiong intended to step forward to help retrieve Xiao Yan’er’s physical body, but just as he approached where Xiao Yan’er lay, several figures emerged slowly from behind the grave of Xiao Yan’er’s mother. Leading them was Miss Yang from the restaurant, accompanied by Mr. Lao Wang and the restaurant’s chef.

“Master Zhou, time’s up. I am making my punctual entrance. Allow me to handle the rest of the matter!” Miss Yang reached out and took a small, golden-yellow cloth-wrapped wooden box from the chef, then presented the box to the Ghost Emperor.

“Roar, roar!” The Ghost Emperor, fearing Miss Yang’s intentions were hostile, raised his tear-streaked face and snarled wildly at her, “Who are you? What are you giving me?”

“I don’t know who you are, but someone tasked me to deliver this object to you at this precise time and location. Please, accept it!” As she spoke, Miss Yang gently placed the box in front of the Ghost Emperor.

The Ghost Emperor lowered his head, gazing at the small box wrapped in yellow cloth before him. He forced himself to reach out and untie the cloth. Slowly opening the small box, another Buddhist scripture was revealed before his eyes. “You people…”

Mr. Lao Wang was genuinely delighted to be part of this spectacle, especially being alongside Zhou Huan; no matter how big the trouble, he wasn't afraid, having experienced Zhou Huan’s methods before.

“Who exactly sent you to deliver these things to me, and why?” The Ghost Emperor now carried himself with the bearing of a true man.

Zhou Huan’s expression relaxed considerably. Miss Yang’s appearance confirmed his suspicion that this was an arranged sequence by his old friend, and there was a reason behind it—this was, in fact, a process of settling old debts.

Miss Yang then pulled out a string of Buddhist beads and placed them inside the box. Afterward, she helped secure the lid and said, “The person who sent these things said that it took several lifetimes of entangled fate to bring you to this state. He sent you these books, including the Ksitigarbha Sutra you just received. He only hopes that you cultivate diligently and strive for early reincarnation and self-improvement as a human.”

The Ghost Emperor’s eyes filled only with profound gratitude; the nameless hatred had vanished without a trace.

“Hmph! Just a few basic scriptures to settle things? This person is truly foolish.” Everyone heard the voice emanating from Xiao Yan’er. Xiao Yan’er’s appearance had drastically changed; it was as if she had suddenly aged into an adult—her face deeply wrinkled, her hair pale, though her body still appeared youthful. However, her hands still looked young.

“What? Eyes of Malignance!” Tianxiong recognized the features; he had learned these from Zhou Huan’s notes and secretly practiced them. Seeing them immediately, he knew Xiao Yan’er possessed the Eyes of Malignance. What was going on? Tianxiong scratched his head, truly feeling powerless.

As soon as Zhou Huan saw Xiao Yan’er’s transformation, he abruptly pulled his body backward: “Eyes of Malignance! Who exactly are you?”

“Hehehehe!” Xiao Yan’er’s laughter was no longer that of a childish toddler, but a sharp, gloating cackle.

“Ah!” The Ghost Emperor cried out sharply in the end, dark green energy swirling wildly around him: “Master Zhou, be careful! This is the Ghost King of this domain!”

“Hahahaha! Betraying me even on your deathbed.” Xiao Yan’er then turned, her furious eyes pointing skyward, surveying everyone. “Since you’ve heard it, no one is leaving today. I’d like to see just how capable you, Zhou Huan, truly are.”

In less time than it takes to speak, Xiao Yan’er produced a small packet of black and white powder from an unknown source and scattered it immediately. Before Tianxiong and Shi Bingyuan could evade, they were dusted entirely and collapsed unconscious.

Miss Yang also clutched a special item—an eight-open sheet of white paper—and instantly blocked the mixed black and white powder coming her way. However, the chef she brought was portly and too slow to dodge; the remaining powder, without a speck left, landed squarely on his face.

Zhou Huan immediately began to panic. He wasn't worried about other things, but about Shi Bingyuan. Since Zhou Huan had just applied the Soul-Striking Talisman to him, if he didn't quickly conserve his vital energy, any injury sustained could affect his normal life, potentially leaving him bedridden and staring at the ceiling for the rest of his days.

Facing the incoming pair of powders, Zhou Huan extended the Heavenly Silkworm Gloves. These gloves were finely crafted and gave the distinct impression of being keenly intuitive. Opening them with an inward curve to meet the powder, they absorbed every speck silently.

Xiao Yan’er let out a manic, sweeping laugh: “Zhou Huan, hmph, you think that tattered glove of yours can block my Soul-Sucking Powder? I’ll drain all of your vital essence soon enough. Then we’ll see if you dare cause trouble again! Hahahaha, Ghost King Grandpa is done playing with you for today. I have other matters to attend to. This little girl is quite pretty; I’ll look for her again next time.”

When Zhou Huan heard this fiend was planning to leave, he certainly couldn't let him go so easily; he needed to teach him a lesson first. In a matter of seconds, Zhou Huan used his own blood to write over a dozen talismans, ignited them simultaneously, and flung them outward. Then, Zhou Huan took a deep breath, held a mouthful of saliva, and forcefully spat it out. The saliva made the talismans extremely viscous, and they flew straight toward the Ghost King.

“Zhou Huan, don’t bother. I’m leaving, fellow. We have plenty of time ahead. You deal with this situation first; I will naturally return to find you later. Things between us won't end so simply; this concerns our respective statuses in our own realms.” Before he could finish speaking, the fiend had vanished somewhere. Zhou Huan searched frantically but found nothing.

Only Lao Wang, Miss Yang, and Zhou Huan himself remained conscious. Zhou Huan immediately retracted the Heavenly Silkworm Gloves, pulled two golden needles from his hundred-pocket satchel, and inserted them into the Fengchi acupoints on the back of the heads of the unconscious Shi Bingyuan and Li Tianxiong. Then, Zhou Huan grabbed Xiao Yan’er, pressing hard with his thumbs on her Renzhong, Dazhui, and Mingmen points—several major acupoints on her body were forcibly cleared. The real Xiao Yan’er finally began to stir.

“Uncle Zhou, I saw Mama,” Zhou Huan heard Xiao Yan’er’s innocent voice clearly.

Shi Bingyuan and Li Tianxiong sat on the ground, cradling their heads and shaking them, muttering complaints, “That guy isn’t human! He used a child as the focal point, and then just ascended and left after hurting people.”

“Yes, alright, both of you sit down immediately. While Miss Yang and Mr. Lao Wang are still here, let’s quickly dissipate the residual effect of the Soul-Striking Talismans. Otherwise, if another spirit shows up, we really won’t be able to handle it,” Zhou Huan said, instructing Mr. Lao Wang before taking the lead, sitting cross-legged on the spot.

Frankly, it was only because they were professionals that they could meditate in a graveyard; an ordinary person would have fled long ago, tails tucked between their legs.

As the sky gradually brightened, the pervasive, malicious coldness on Zhou Huan and the others slowly receded, and their complexions suddenly turned rosy and pleasant.

Just then, a pair of red and white shoes appeared—precisely the pair Zhou Huan had been looking for, the pair he suspected had been burned in the fire at that old man’s house. Why were they here now?

“Master Zhou, thank you for your help, which allowed me to see my little Xiao Yan’er. Seeing her safe brings me much comfort. But now I worry about her future. Can you tell me, with that father she has, will he be able to provide for her in the future? I truly worry for them.” Finally, the shoes spoke, and the voice was melodious.

Zhou Huan took this opportunity to approach the tombstone of Xiao Yan’er’s mother and saw her photograph. To be honest, she was quite a beauty.

A small hand reached out and tugged at Zhou Huan’s wrist a few times: “Uncle Zhou Huan, Mama is right. What should Xiao Yan’er do? Xiao Yan’er needs to be self-reliant now; Papa is ill. I won’t rely on Papa anymore.”

“Xiao Yan’er, be good. Stay with Uncle for now. Papa will get better soon; believe me, he will take good care of you.” Zhou Huan consoled Xiao Yan’er, then turned and scolded the shoes, “As the child’s guardian, why speak like that? Don’t you know the profound impact that has on a child?”

Zhou Huan finished speaking, but the shoes remained unresponsive. Li Tianxiong was puzzled; this cursed pair of shoes was truly uncanny, appearing precisely when it wanted to. This time, he was determined to capture it, take it back, and study it thoroughly, figuring out how to draw out the small soul inside and question it about all the recent madness.

The moment Tianxiong reached out to grab the shoes, they dissolved into a pile of white ash.